Joe Gibbs Driven

The victory marked the fourth national event victory in the fourth different category for the young UNLV student. Lamb’s versatility as a sportsman competitor is unparalleled at such a young age. He claimed his first national event title in 2006, with a Top Dragster victory at the JEGS Pacific Sports Nationals. After adding a Super Comp crown at the 2007 Fram Autolite Nationals, Lamb defended his Sports Nationals title with a triumph in Super Stock at the same event the following season. Now with his Super Gas victory, Lamb’s unblemished final round record remains intact, and he joins a short list of NHRA competitors to have earned national event titles in four separate categories.

As impressive as his run to victory in a fourth NHRA national event category was, Lamb nearly added a fifth the same weekend, as he advanced to the semi-final round of Competition Eliminator in his familiar Cobalt before red-lighting by a miniscule .001-of-a-second to defending world champion and eventual event winner Dan Fletcher.

“What an incredible weekend,” expressed Lamb. “When you start naming the guys that have won national events in four categories: Scotty and Edmond Richardson, Gary Stinnett, Jeff Taylor, Jeg Coughlin, Jr., David Rampy, Dan Fletcher, and more--that’s a list of some of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. To have my name mentioned along with theirs is surreal.”

Lambs trip to the winner’s circle was far from easy. An unprecedented weather pattern wreaked havoc on the 49th annual Winter Nationals, delaying professional eliminations throughout the weekend, and eventually into Tuesday afternoon. For sportsman competitors, the delays were even worse, as Lamb and final round opponent Thomas Bayer made the final round of Super Gas eliminations on Wednesday afternoon, nearly a full week after the event began.

“This was a marathon,” explained Lamb. “This week brought mid-terms for me at UNLV, so it was a constant juggling act for me in an attempt to be two places at once.”

Once Sunday eliminations were rained out, Lamb and his father Chris actually packed up their racing operation and made the 4 hour journey back to their Las Vegas home from the Pomona fairgrounds, as Justin had a mid-term exam on Monday morning. At that point, the team had essentially written off their chances at Pomona. When rains set in again, however, and the event was once again postponed to Tuesday, Lamb and good friend Lyle Burnham made the return trip to Pomona in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

“I was able to talk my professor into getting an extension on my Tuesday mid-term, so we went back to Pomona. I advanced through the early rounds of competition, and the event was once again postponed, to be finished on Wednesday. Right after the final, (NHRA Division 7 Director) Mike Rice gave me a ride to the airport, and I was back at UNLV an hour after the race taking another exam. It made for a wild week!”

His victory in Super Gas competition shot Lamb to the lead in NHRA Super Gas points standings after the opening event of the season, and his semi-final showing in Competition eliminator also places him third in the early standings in that category. The Winter Nationals brought Lamb’s second final round appearance in the young 2009 season, as he took runner-up honors a week earlier at the Division 7 National Open in Las Vegas, driving his Super Comp dragster.

“I’ve got so many people to thank I don’t know where to start,” said Lamb. “Of course, I need to thank my parents for all they do--we’re a team in this. I also need to thank co-owner V. Gaines for his continued help and support. These were our first two weeks on Goodyear Tires, so I think that’s a huge testament to that company and the quality products that they manufacture.”

Lamb also thanked Madcap racing engines, Mikes Transmissions, Redback Boots, Palmer Electric, Sunstate Companies, Unlimited Trailers, Goodyear, Race Tech Race Cars, Joe Gibbs Oil, and Biondo Racing Products. He also acknowledged the friendship and help of Peter Biondo and Kyle Siepel as keys to his continued success.